Arrest made in armed robbery of Belleville gas station

An arrest has been made in the armed robbery of a Delta gas station on Union Avenue in Belleville earlier this month.

Trevor Williams, 23, of Newark was arrested in connection with the robbery that took place on the first night of the new year, Belleville Police Capt. Anthony Romandetto said Monday. Williams was arrested in Elizabeth, following several gas station holdups there. Elizabeth and Belleville police worked together, and it was determined that Williams was allegedly involved in the Belleville robbery. He was in the custody of the Union County Jail on Monday.

According to the Union County Prosecutor's Office, Williams was charged with three counts of first-degree robbery in connection with three separate incidents out of Elizabeth. He was also charged with possession of an imitation firearm for an unlawful purpose, aggravated assault (specifically, pointing the imitation firearm at a person), theft, burglary, and eluding police. Additional charges out of Essex County were not immediately known.

In the Belleville incident, it was reported that a suspect wearing a baseball cap pulled into the Delta gas station on Union Avenue at about 9:45 p.m. Jan. 1, and asked an attendant for $5 worth of gas. The suspect then exited his vehicle, and asked the attendant for change of a $50 bill. The suspect then allegedly told the attendant to "give me all the money, or I'll shoot."

Romandetto said the suspect did not allegedly produce a weapon, but instead had his hand in his pocket, as if he had a handgun. The attendant then gave the suspect $40 worth of store proceeds, and the suspect subsequently fled south on Union Avenue. No injuries were reported in the incident.

It was not revealed how much money Williams had made off with in all his alleged robberies.

The same Delta station had been robbed at gunpoint on Nov. 27, when a suspect allegedly made off with between $300 and $500 in proceeds after threatening an attendant with a handgun.